Wytheville Community College has formal graduation exercises in May for students completing career studies certificate, certificate, diploma, and degree programs. All graduating students completing their programs in the spring are encouraged to attend graduation. Prospective graduates must file an application for graduation by the published deadline with their Faculty Advisor so that requirements for graduation can be verified and diplomas ordered.

Students are Permitted to participate in the Spring graduation ceremony if they have completed a program of study or will complete their program during the summer term.

Outcomes and Assessments

Students may be required to complete testing, survey, questionnaire or other assessment activities designed to measure general education achievement and/or achievement in selected major areas prior to graduation, for the purpose of evaluation of academic programs. No minimum score or level of achievement is required for graduation. Assessment results will remain confidential and will be used for the sole purpose of improvement of the College.

Graduation Honors

Students who have completed the requirements in the curriculum are eligible for graduation honors according to their cumulative grade point average. The honors, based on scholastic achievement, are as follows:

Cumulative GPA

Honors

3.2

Cum laude (with honor)

3.5

Magna cum laude (with high honor)

3.8

Summa cum laude (with highest honor)

Degrees and Certificates

Wytheville Community College offers the following degrees or certificates for students who successfully complete approved programs:

Associate in Arts and Sciences (A.A.&S.) is awarded to students majoring in a specialized curriculum and who may transfer to four-year colleges or universities after completing their community college programs.

Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree is awarded to students majoring in occupational-technical curricula and who may plan to obtain full-time jobs immediately after graduation from the college.

Certificate is awarded to students who complete one of the approved non-degree curricula which are usually less than two years in length.

Associate Degree/Diploma Requirements

To be awarded an associate degree or diploma from the College, students must:

Have fulfilled all course and credit hour requirements of their curricula as outlined in the college catalog/student handbook. At least 25% of the credits must be acquired at the college awarding the associate degree/diploma/certificate.

Have earned a grade point average of at least 2.0 in all studies attempted which are applicable toward graduation in their curricula.

Have filed a completed application for graduation with the student's Academic Advisor by the publicized deadline.

Have resolved all financial obligations to the college and returned all library and other college materials.

Have met the college's computer competency requirements. All graduates of programs containing 45 or more credits must meet the college's computer competency requirement. Students who have passed both ITE 115, Introduction to Computer Applications and Concepts (or equivalent), and SDV 100 (or 101, 104, 108), Student Success, automatically meet the requirement. Others may meet the requirement by demonstrating competency through completing program course activities approved by the Institutional Effectiveness Committee or through passing the college's computer competency test.

Have been certified by an appropriate college official as meeting all of the above requirements for graduation.

Upon recommendation of the instructional division and the Vice President of Instruction and Student Development, students who pursue a degree program but are unable to complete the requirements may be issued a certificate, provided the portion of study completed is equivalent to an approved certificate program offered at the College. If an approved certificate in a student’s area of study is not offered at the College, an Award of Completion may be granted, which specifies instructional hours completed.

Career Studies Certificate Requirement

To be eligible to receive a career studies certificate from the College, a student must:

Have fulfilled all course and credit hour requirements of their curricula as outlined in the college catalog/student handbook. At least 25% of the credits must be acquired at the college awarding the associate degree/diploma/certificate.

Have earned a grade point average of at least 2.0 in all studies attempted which are applicable toward graduation in their curricula.

Have filed a completed application for graduation with the student's Academic Advisor by the publicized deadline.

Have resolved all financial obligations to the college and returned all library and other college materials.

Have been certified by an appropriate college official as meeting all of the above requirements for graduation.